Preparations for the impending war and to actually create the new "New
World Order" in the Middle East are moving ahead very quickly, even as
the domestic politics of the situation in the US has the Bush Administration
cautious and hesitant with the mid-term election looming.

TURKEY: Many steps are underway to enhance the U.S., Israeli, Turkish military
alliance that has been written about in the pages of MER in past years. The
Jordanians and others are involved as well; though far more in secret. One many
development is that with the Turks in the lead the US and Turkey have recently
taken over three air bases in northern Iraq ... . These bases, as well as others
in the region especially in Turkey and Qatar, are being quickly readied for
the major regional war ahead; plus of course the U.S. has major military facilities
in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and special relations with Israel and Egypt, as well
as growing military relationships with various south Asian countries including
those that were once part of the Soviet Union.

SAUDI: The frightened and shaking Saudi Government has taken a new step to
control dissent and opposition in the Kingdom. Regardless of what the Saudi
Royals say in public, since 9/11, CIA infestation of the Kingdom has been considerably
stepped up. One demand now being implemented by the Saudis is to try to bring
the Mosques and Imams -- many of whom are very much opposed to US and Israeli
policies -- much more into line. And one way of doing that is the new decree
from Riyadh that all satellite dishes in Mosques and associated homes of Imams
be removed so as "not to conflict" with their religious duties.

HASHEMITE JORDAN: A special elite secret American military ops team, coupled
with a still expanding covert CIA presence, has been dispatched to Jordan to
protect King Abdullah who sits on the last remaining Hashemite Throne. Last
month the U.S. also took over direct protection of the American-installed President
Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan after he dismissed his own military forces from
that role; clearly fearing a coup or assassination. In Jordan, the "excuse"
for taking this further step, as it begins to leak that something is afoot,
is that more American military are showing up to protect Jordan against a possible
Iraqi-inspired coup, especially now that the U.S. and the Jordanian Hashemites
have shown an interest in "returning" one of their own to the throne
in Baghdad. Feisal II was the last Hashemite King in Iraq, installed by the
Brits until the bloody revolution in 1958 when his household was dragged through
the dusty streets and rather literally dismembered. But there is also growing
fear in Jordan of civil uprising and popular revolution. Indeed, some astute
observers have concluded that King Abdullah's public utterances these days appearing
to be against the coming war are actually designed to mask the ongoing and still
growing collaboration between his regime and the US/Israeli/UK/Turkish alliance;
protecting his hold on power until the Americans have greater forces in the
region and war is imminent, when his public stance will also change.